Minack Theatre
Minack Theatre
4.5
About
A place like no other, the world-famous Minack theatre is a must-see for visitors to Cornwall. Discover the extraordinary story of how it was created and experience the magic of live theatre in this iconic space. The Minack stages a full programme of live performances and at other times you can explore the dramatic site and sub-tropical gardens full of exotic plants. Advance booking for visits, tours and performances essential.
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- Rachey13Sheffield, United Kingdom498 contributionsBreath taking views 😍Pre booked our trip to the minack theatre, didn't want to miss out dueing our holiday. It is just absolutely stunning, the theatre, the gardens, the scenery all just breath taking. We came whilst they were doing rehearsals and got rather caught up in the play it was really interesting. Staff were friendly and we had pasties and drink which weren't badly priced. Definitely recommend you visit here if you're in Cornwall.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 3 October 2023
- shropshirestalkerUnited Kingdom33 contributionsPerfect spotStunning location and incredible theatre which has been beautifully taken care of. The gardens full of succulents are stunning. We watched a Childrens performance, which i thought would be a little young for my children, but kept them perfectly entertained, and we all absolutely loved our experience.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 2 November 2023
- S CCheltenham, United Kingdom158 contributionsYou must visit at least once in your life.We were staying right next to the theatre, so had to visit. WOW!!! What an experience. The place is stunning. To think that it was built by a few people is mind blowing. The history is well presented. The gardens and planting put the Eden Project to shame. A special mention to the car parking lady who worked with Rowena back in 1972. She is a fountain of knowledge and information. This place is just amazing.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 November 2023
- JasonQingrongWongSingapore, Singapore204 contributionsTotally enjoyed the visitStunning views from an amazing outdoor theatre! Wasn't expecting to be blown away by this architectural wonder. Definitely must visit if travelling around the Penzence area. There's a little hut which explains how the theatre was built and about the lady and her gardener who built it. We drove there, not sure if there're buses that goes there. The drive was through narrow roads.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 November 2023
- Paul HWoodhall Spa, United Kingdom208 contributionsA Must Place To Visit In Cornwall .What can you say about this magical place . In the summer months , a must to see a play on a summers evening . In winter , just call in explore the theatre and it’s history. The cafe as had a refurbishment and looks wow! Highly recommend the sandwiches which are made of the best ingredients and wonderful bread. The staff and volunteers are so friendly and welcoming .Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 December 2023
- ppwBerkshire, Massachusetts134 contributionsExtraordinaryGot to see the Prom here & the whole experience was just awesome. It's amazing that a woman & her gardener built this spectacular theatre into the cliff-side. Parking was easy, and the climb down to our seats was a lot, but remember to use the bathroom at the top first & you'll be good! A breathtaking view of the ocean, and watching the sky & water change colors as the show goes on is like nothing you've ever seen. We even got fireworks. Dress appropriately, because when the sun set the temperature dropped to very cold. (In October)Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 17 December 2023
- dangod77Camberley, United Kingdom26 contributionsEMOTIONAL EXPERIENCEWhat an emotional experience!!!! We were spoilt with a beautiful sunny day. Such a beautifully special place with lovely energy. Kieren was especially a joy to talk to what a lovely guy and clearly passionate about the place as are the Goddard familyVisited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 6 January 2024
- Rhian T7 contributionsTheatre of aweAmazing rowena dream made real with hard work and love that shines from the team spent the morning climbing around the awe-inspiring space with my hubby and our dog. Plenty of real honest affection from Mark (billy) and the team about keeping the magic alive thank you for a special day. Cream tea in cafe 10/10 😋Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 March 2024
- Tony01UKLondon, United Kingdom260 contributionsBreathtaking!Utterly breathtaking. We went on March 20th as part of a bucket list and we were not disappointed. Reading the astonishing history of this special place was in itself incredible. Seeing it in real life was amazing, we have vowed to book tickets for a performance. This is a special place, please do visit.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2024
- CatSt Ives, United Kingdom701 contributionsAbsolutely stunning location.This is definitely a must visit place. Absolutely stunning views and beautiful garden theatre. Completely amazed and how much work Rowena Cade and her two gardeners Billy Rawlins and Charles Thomas Angove put into this hand carved masterpiece of a theatre. Beautiful cafe on site with lovely views of the beach and theatre. Toilets and parking on site.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 23 March 2024
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4.5
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amazonflash
Southampton, UK288 contributions
Oct 2020
We loved our visit here, on the wild cliffs. There's something magical about it, and the names of plays engraved on every seat bring the echoes of theatre to life. The entrance fee is reasonable although it only takes about half an hour to go round and at this time people are not encouraged to linger due to the numbers arriving. There are still shows here, as it is still outdoors, but I'd recommend picking a dry, calm day! We just missed storytime, which would have been an interesting experience. There was a take-out cafe and toilets. You can book on the day if there is space left. There are a great many steps but on the website when we booked we noted there was a ticket for the same price which was all level for those with walking difficulties or maybe buggies. No idea how they do it but certainly worth going if you can (but maybe not with toddlers, it's a long way down!). The gardens at the top are all planted with tropical plants and there is an exhibit about the person who designed it all, although at the time we visited this was sadly closed due to covid. Recommended.
Written 5 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mikezhivago
Manchester, UK1,415 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Although we hadn’t pre booked our visit , we were allowed to park and pay on entry to the theatre ( very nice of them ) . That said if there is a show on , then you are not getting anywhere near without a ticket . It was £6 each to go in and look round and thankfully it was a nice afternoon and we spent over an hour walking up and down the steep steps . It is nice to just buy an ice cream and drink in the views and marvel at the work of one woman to create this special place. Once you are done you are free to walk down to the lovely beach at Porthcurno and enjoy any sunshine while you can . Lovely place and recommended, whether there is a show on or not . One to return to, to watch a live show .
Written 11 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
H Stephens
Bristol, UK9 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
It was a rainy day however there was a story teller in the open air theatre recounting how the Minack was built - he was mesmerising! We sat and listened to the incredible story in the rain - glued to his amazing performance. A real treat.
The theatre is stunning, the gardens are beautiful, the views are breathtaking. The detail at every turn, with seats tucked away in every corner is amazing.
There is a small cafe selling hot / cold drinks, pasties and sandwiches - delicious and reasonably priced.
The theatre is stunning, the gardens are beautiful, the views are breathtaking. The detail at every turn, with seats tucked away in every corner is amazing.
There is a small cafe selling hot / cold drinks, pasties and sandwiches - delicious and reasonably priced.
Written 26 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony S
Exeter, UK6 contributions
Mar 2020
We have visited the Minack before and enjoyed performances there. As we were in the neighbourhood today we thought it would be nice to go and have lunch in the cafe. Oh dear!
We were haughtily told that we could not access the cafe without each paying £6 to enter the Theatre grounds. We did not want to visit the Theatre itself just have a bite of lunch. £18 for three of us to go in for soup of the day seemed rather excessive and I don’t think the staff on duty understood my bewilderment at this madness. If they had been busy perhaps I could have understood but on a cold misty rainy day I would have thought they would have welcomed the business.
Fortunately we had a very warm welcome at the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum with a pleasant lunch and no entry fee for the privilege.
We were haughtily told that we could not access the cafe without each paying £6 to enter the Theatre grounds. We did not want to visit the Theatre itself just have a bite of lunch. £18 for three of us to go in for soup of the day seemed rather excessive and I don’t think the staff on duty understood my bewilderment at this madness. If they had been busy perhaps I could have understood but on a cold misty rainy day I would have thought they would have welcomed the business.
Fortunately we had a very warm welcome at the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum with a pleasant lunch and no entry fee for the privilege.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're sorry to read this review.
This policy is an issue for us as we understand that it appears illogical to a visitor that we charge customers to use our cafe, even on wet, unpleasant winter days. This is a policy we discuss frequently, however, it remains the position that the majority of our visitors feel our entrance charge represents good value for money to explore our site.
We are sorry that the staff member's attitude was 'haughty' - we will seek to address this with the team in the shop.
We're delighted that you enjoyed a good lunch at PK Porthcurno and hope you enjoyed your visit to their fascinating attraction.
Written 10 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ZFairclough
Hastings, UK6 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
We were amazed by Minack Theatre - an impressive venue with incredible view! We went for a day to walk around the gardens and theatre, but would definitely recommend going to see a show as we managed to watch rehearsals for that evening which was amazing to see and get a feel of what it would be like during the show!
We also had our young Labrador with us, but the combination of tight walk ways, steep steps and an excited puppy did not go too well. Thankfully the staff were really accommodating and let us go back out of the theatre and come back in so we could make the most of our visit.
The staff were all very friendly and tried to make the theatre as safe as possible regarding the covid rules.
We also had our young Labrador with us, but the combination of tight walk ways, steep steps and an excited puppy did not go too well. Thankfully the staff were really accommodating and let us go back out of the theatre and come back in so we could make the most of our visit.
The staff were all very friendly and tried to make the theatre as safe as possible regarding the covid rules.
Written 18 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denrossa
Salisbury, UK98 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
We visited the Minack theatre for the first time on the 8th October.
Beautifully kept man made theatre with stunning views looking over to Porthcurno beach and beyond.
Our admission of £10 each included a short play/show by an actor called Mark Harandon, who played ‘Billy’, who back in the 1930’s built this whole theatre by hand. This play made our visit. It was brilliant. Funny, informative and very interesting. Marks gone to great lengths in re searching way back in the 1930’s to give us all a cracking insight into the history of this world famous place. The play is called ‘moving heaven and earth.’ It lasts around 45 minutes and is shown in intervals throughout the day. Without this play, admission in £6 each.
The gardens are all also well maintained.
This is how a historic landmark in Cornwall should be looked after. Lands end take note!!! Highly recommend!
Beautifully kept man made theatre with stunning views looking over to Porthcurno beach and beyond.
Our admission of £10 each included a short play/show by an actor called Mark Harandon, who played ‘Billy’, who back in the 1930’s built this whole theatre by hand. This play made our visit. It was brilliant. Funny, informative and very interesting. Marks gone to great lengths in re searching way back in the 1930’s to give us all a cracking insight into the history of this world famous place. The play is called ‘moving heaven and earth.’ It lasts around 45 minutes and is shown in intervals throughout the day. Without this play, admission in £6 each.
The gardens are all also well maintained.
This is how a historic landmark in Cornwall should be looked after. Lands end take note!!! Highly recommend!
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elaine H
Dawlish, UK27 contributions
Aug 2020
A place I have wanted to visit in a long time. myself and two friends went to see a production of Eductaing Rita, first theatre visit since lockdown, with Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson. I had seen this production in Bath and they had shortened it slightly to allow for the performance running completely through rather than having an interval due to social distancing still being in place. The production was excellent and unless you are familiar with the script you would not know were they had cut bits. We arrived to a well organised carpark regime and then joined a socially distnaced well organised queue to enter the theatre. The front of house staff were letting in a few people at a time and liaising with other staff at the part of the theatre the tickets were booked for to organise the seating on arrival. We were lucky with the weather it was beautiful. The venue is amazing with views to die for. All patrons were happy and socially distanced as is required with no problems.
Written 1 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Little_Rowse
Nottingham, UK76 contributions
Sept 2020
We booked tickets to the theatre months before our visit which ended up being on the second day of the new covid rules (groups of 6 people max.) and before we even entered we were BARKED at by Anne, threatening that if there were more of us we wouldn't be allowed in. Why was she lecturing us about this when we knew the restrictions and there were 6 of us and not one person more?! Totally pointless and RUDE. Oh! We also got a telling off because there were people in there still from the hourly slot before ours. How is that our fault?! Ridiculous.
It wasn't just us that were barked at around the theatre, we would see other guests getting told to move along and go different ways. Maybe the theatre should in fact put in the necessary precautions such as arrows on the floor so people know "which way" they should go?! Of every place I've been to during these covid times, the Minack Theatre is one of the only places that should indeed have arrows to direct people in a certain direction. Alas, they did not have any arrows! Silly. As a guest you are blamed for their own incompetence. It is a total maze in there so people are just going any way they wish, and rightly so! We would get told off like school children for standing around and admiring the views. It didn't help that there were rehearsals happening for a show opening that night, so people wanted to listen and watch the talent at the top before taking a seat. We were told to "shut up" when the rehearsals were happening.. I'm sorry but why should we? How were we to know that this would be happening when we booked months in advance?
On exit, Anne barked at us again for no reason. She should have some decorum and respect for people! Power trip or what?!
We visited in September 2020 so the theatre had long enough to prepare for the social distances rules. As far as I'm aware it was open all summer so they must've had these issues every day? It can't be that hard to stick down a few arrows? Hopefully they have added these now to avoid more upset guests, but I highly doubt it.
Honestly, the theatre is beautiful, but I wouldn't recommend you visit during "covid times". Wait a couple of years if you have to, I can imagine the experience would be much more pleasant when life has returned to normality.
It wasn't just us that were barked at around the theatre, we would see other guests getting told to move along and go different ways. Maybe the theatre should in fact put in the necessary precautions such as arrows on the floor so people know "which way" they should go?! Of every place I've been to during these covid times, the Minack Theatre is one of the only places that should indeed have arrows to direct people in a certain direction. Alas, they did not have any arrows! Silly. As a guest you are blamed for their own incompetence. It is a total maze in there so people are just going any way they wish, and rightly so! We would get told off like school children for standing around and admiring the views. It didn't help that there were rehearsals happening for a show opening that night, so people wanted to listen and watch the talent at the top before taking a seat. We were told to "shut up" when the rehearsals were happening.. I'm sorry but why should we? How were we to know that this would be happening when we booked months in advance?
On exit, Anne barked at us again for no reason. She should have some decorum and respect for people! Power trip or what?!
We visited in September 2020 so the theatre had long enough to prepare for the social distances rules. As far as I'm aware it was open all summer so they must've had these issues every day? It can't be that hard to stick down a few arrows? Hopefully they have added these now to avoid more upset guests, but I highly doubt it.
Honestly, the theatre is beautiful, but I wouldn't recommend you visit during "covid times". Wait a couple of years if you have to, I can imagine the experience would be much more pleasant when life has returned to normality.
Written 4 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to review us. We're sorry you felt that you were spoken to in an inappropriate manner by members of our team.
We have had no other complaints about our decision not to enforce one way routes around the theatre. We felt one way routes would be impractical as some of our steps are harder to navigate than others and visitors needed to be free to choose. In general this has been really well received by visitors and people have been happy to take their time and respect other visitors within the theatre, indeed yours is the first negative review about how visitors move around the Minack.
The day you visited we had a dress rehearsal in the afternoon. This did mean that we moved visitors around more than we normally would as we were keen to allow the visitors to watch the rehearsal, but we needed to ensure that this was safe in terms of social distancing for all visitors. As people were going to stay longer than usual watching the rehearsal we were going to end up with more visitors on site than usual and therefore we had to be more proactive as a staff team to make sure everyone was safe. We did try to encourage visitors to sit down in the auditorium seating areas rather than stand on the terraces which causes congestion. We have 'respect social distancing' signage in these areas where visitors tend to stand which have generally worked well through the season.
Once again, we're sorry we got it wrong for your visit on this occasion.
Written 7 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
chrissieb94
Dorset, UK3,302 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
This was the highlight of our visit to Cornwall. We prebooked tickets for a morning tour around the theatre and gardens and a matinee show. Car parking is on site and our entrance was timed. We could wander around at our leisure enjoying the beautiful gardens and magnificent structure of the theatre. The Minack was built by Rowena Cade and opened in 1932. We thoroughly enjoyed the performance of ‘Billy Rawlings her gardener’ giving us a history of its building and early days. Then we sat and had lunch from the Takeaway Coffee Shop before going back outside to wait for entrance to the matinee performance. The show was ‘Oh Mary!’ A one woman show based on the life of Mary Bryant and portrayed by Bec Applebee. A superb performance which showed every human emotion. Staff ensured groups were sitting 2m apart. We had fantastic seats at the front. Remember to take your own cushions currently. It was a very hot and sunny afternoon and we were glad of cold drinks from the takeaway. A brilliant day all round! We thoroughly recommend that you visit!
Written 18 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy
20 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
What a fabulous experience ! The weather was glorious and sun cream and a hat is a must.
Due to COVID restrictions, tickets are just at fifty percent capacity and no doubt this made the visit even more pleasant as we were well spread out during the performance.
Don’t turn up thinking you can take pictures without a ticket because you will be turned away as indeed quite a few people were and the only other view of the theatre is from the sea .
Parking was ample in a close by field and free for ticket holders . Watch the roads as you approach as it does come to a standstill as you climb the hill due to cars attempting to get down and up a single track road .
A memory made for life .
Due to COVID restrictions, tickets are just at fifty percent capacity and no doubt this made the visit even more pleasant as we were well spread out during the performance.
Don’t turn up thinking you can take pictures without a ticket because you will be turned away as indeed quite a few people were and the only other view of the theatre is from the sea .
Parking was ample in a close by field and free for ticket holders . Watch the roads as you approach as it does come to a standstill as you climb the hill due to cars attempting to get down and up a single track road .
A memory made for life .
Written 4 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi would there a possibility that we get tickets on arrival
Is it going to the site and trying for tickets ?
Written 17 August 2024
Hardy likely, and you will have to walk at least 1/2 mile to get there as you will not be allowed to park any where near it to find out
Written 4 September 2024
What is the ‘real’ view from the restricted view area? Is it worth it? Would be grateful for any honest reviews. How bad/good is the view. Thanks
Written 7 August 2024
We would like to visit on a May bank holiday weekend. Is it necessary to pre-book or can we get tickets there?
Written 19 March 2024
Would definitely recommend booking in advance to guarantee entry. As it can get quite busy.
Written 14 April 2024
Hello - I'm trying to get hold of 2 adult + 1 child ticket to Piskie in the Garden Mon or Weds in May 2023 half term. We left it too late as we werent sure we could take a holiday this year. Staff have been fab responding to confirm but are there any local message boards where anyone might have tickets they can't use or might swap for the Friday does anyone know? Thank you :-)
Written 24 May 2023
Hi Sarah - sorry, I don’t know the answer to that question.
Written 25 May 2023
Weve booked tickets for an evening performance in July, do we need to book seperate tickets to visit in the afternoon?
Many thanks
Paula
Written 19 May 2023
Yes, I believe that tickets are timed. Allow plenty of time to get up the very narrow road to the theater and to walk to (and through) it. I cannot climb the multitude of stairs, which is why we were up so high.
Be sure to dress warmly if there is a breeze. It likely would be warmer in the day, but got mighty cold at night.
It is definitely worth visiting. Do study how it came to be.
Written 21 May 2023
I am looking to book a ticket for our trip. There is seating A but what is perch I? It cost more and I can not find a seating map.
Written 18 March 2023
I suggest you email theatre direct. We only looked round during a rehearsal. Seats are either comfortable concrete or grass topped. No idea if allocated or not. Sorry
Written 18 March 2023
If I'm attending a daytime performance, do you think I should also book a general entry ticket for the morning to have a proper look around. Or does the performance entry let you see everything you'd desire?
Written 16 September 2022
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